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Spare Times for Nov. 22-28

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thursday) Sometimes even balloons need a makeover. Snoopy, Woodstock and SpongeBob SquarePants will be sporting new looks as they float along with the other balloon characters, bands, clowns and marchers that are part of this year’s 87th holiday spectacle.

A more traditional Snoopy — minus the cap, cape and binoculars — is on board, along with a Christmas-themed SpongeBob. Stars from two Cartoon Network shows will also make their debuts: Toothless from “DreamWorks Dragons” and Finn and Jake from “Adventure Time.” Alas, Charlie Brown is sitting out this time to make room for Snoopy. (Only 15 giant balloons make the cut each year.)

The parade begins at 9 a.m. at Central Park West and 77th Street and heads south to Columbus Circle, where it turns east to Avenue of the Americas and travels to 34th Street, ending at Macy’s in Herald Square. NBC will show the parade, with personalities from “Today” as hosts. For those who would like to see the balloons spring to life, inflation begins on Wednesday at 3 p.m. outside the American Museum of Natural History, with entry at Columbus Avenue and 79th Street. With these free events and the feast that follows, what could be a better way to usher in the holidays? (Anne Mancuso)

Museums and Sites

Alice Austen House: ‘War and Peace’ (through Dec. 29) More than 40 tintype images of active and retired members of the military, in uniform and civilian clothes, are included in this display of work by the photographer Melissa Cacciola. Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving Day), 2 Hylan Boulevard, near Edgewater Street, Shore Acres, Staten Island, (718) 816-4506, aliceausten.org; donation, $3.

American Museum of Natural History: ‘Frogs: A Chorus of Color’ and ‘Whales: Giants of the Deep’ (through Jan. 5) More than 150 live frogs representing 25 species are on view in re-creations of their natural habitats in the exhibition “Frogs,” highlighting their evolution, biology and challenges to survival in our changing environment. Elsewhere in the museum, the interactive exhibition “Whales” covers the world of those giant mammals in context to humans and other animals. From 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; closed on Thanksgiving Day, Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5200, amnh.org; timed tickets, with the suggested admission price of $27; $22 for students and 60+; $16 for children 12 and under.

American Museum of Natural History: ‘The Power of Poison’ (through Aug. 10) The good and bad uses of poison will be covered in this interactive exhibition that includes animation and a bit of theater. In his review for The New York Times, Edward Rothstein said that this is one of the museum’s “most theatrical exhibitions” and that the curating team has “combined elements with deft curatorial alchemy, touching on every taxonomical category.” Daily from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day, Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5200, amnh.org; $22, $17 for students and 60+, $12.50 for children 2 to 12.

Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden: Candy Talk (Sunday) This talk about the history of candy making in the United States will include some tasty extras: samplings of old-fashioned sweets like licorice root, sugar plums (that are not really plums at all) and jelly beans. Susan Benjamin, president of Cool Confectionaries, a company specializing in sweets from the 18th and 19th centuries will do the sweet talking. At 1 p.m., 421 East 61st Street, (212) 838-6878, mvhm.org; $20, $15 for members, $10 for children under 12.

Museum of the City of New York: ‘Gilded New York’ (through Nov. 30, 2014) The opulence seen from the mid-1870s to the early 20th century is the focus of this exhibition of clothing, jewelry and artwork. Among the items on display in the museum’s Tiffany & Company Foundation Gallery are items once owned by John D. Rockefeller. On Saturday at 1 p.m., a tour of the exhibition will be led by Jeannine Falino, one of its curators. Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Thanksgiving), Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, (212) 534-1672, mcny.org; $10, $6 for students; $20 for families; free for members and children 12 and younger.

Museum of the City of New York: ‘Picturing Central Park: Paintings by Janet Ruttenberg’ (through Jan. 5) The park and its visitors provided the inspiration for this display of 17 large-scale paintings and other works, including photographs. Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, (212) 534-1672, mcny.org; suggested admission, $10; $6 for students; $20 for families; free for 12 and under and members. Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day.

Museum of the City of New York: ‘Rising Waters: Photographs of Sandy’ (through March 2) When Hurricane Sandy pounded the area last year, amateur and professional photographers took to the streets to document the storm’s devastation and the recovery efforts that followed. More than 200 of those color and black-and-white images are included in this exhibition, organized with the help of the International Center of Photography. The display is grouped into six categories — storm, destruction, coping, home, relief and not over. Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, (212) 534-1672, mcny.org; $10, $6 for students, free for members and children 12 and younger; $20 for families.

New York Public Library: AIDS Exhibition and Screening (through April 4) The exhibition “Why We Fight: Remembering AIDS Activism” uses manuscripts, videos and other items from the Library’s collections to tell the story of the grass-roots groups and individuals that were at the forefront of efforts to inform the public about the disease and help stop its spread. In conjunction with the display, there will be a screening on Tuesday at 7 p.m. of “United in Anger: A History of ACT UP,” a 2012 documentary by Jim Hubbard. The exhibition can be viewed Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, New York Public Library, (917) 275-6975, tinyurl.com/kpmshkx; free.

New York Public Library: ‘ “Dearest Jackie”: On the Death of JFK’ (through Dec. 1) A pop-up exhibition of photographs, manuscripts and other items from the Library’s collections commemorates the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. There is a letter of condolence to Jacqueline Kennedy from Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a Kennedy aide, as well prints from Andy Warhol’s series “Flash — Nov. 22, 1963.” Fridays, Saturdays and Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed on Thanksgiving Day. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, New York Public Library, (917) 275-6975, tinyurl.com/mypnd88; free.

New York Transit Museum: ‘Album Tracks: Subway Record Covers’ (through Jan. 12) Images of the subway system have long graced album covers by many performers, including Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel. Those covers are the subject of this exhibition. Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights, (718) 694-1600, mta.info/mta/museum; $7, $5 for children and 62+.

New York Transit Museum: ‘Grand Central Sketchbook: Designers Dream’ Grand Central Terminal, as envisioned by artists in charcoal drawings, pencil sketches and watercolors, is the subject of this exhibition, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the terminal. (Through Dec. 1) Also on view, through 2016, is “ElectriCity: Powering New York’s Rails,” a display of items from the museum collection — including switches and circuit breakers — that illustrates how electricity powers the subway system. Both exhibitions can be seen Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights, (718) 694-1600, mta.info/mta/museum; $7, $5 for 2 to 17 and 62+, free for members and 62+ on Wednesdays.

Gardens

New York Botanical Garden: Holiday Train Show and Reading (through Jan. 12) At this time of year, train displays are as much a holiday tradition as visits with Santa. The tradition continues at the Garden with the annual Holiday Train Show — the 22nd — featuring city landmarks made of natural materials. Related events are also planned, including an appearance on Saturday at 2 p.m. by a former United States poet laureate, Billy Collins, who will read his own work as well as train-themed poems. Some of the poetry has been incorporated in the landscape design. Hours through Dec. 15 are Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; closed on Thanksgiving Day. (Holiday hours begin on Dec. 16.) Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) and Fordham Road, the Bronx, (718) 817-8777, nybg.org; $20, $18 for students and 65+, $10 for children 2 to 12, free for children under 2.

Events

Annual Puerto Rican Book and Artisans Fair (Saturday) Artisans from Puerto Rico will be among those exhibiting their work during this annual fair — the eighth — at Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourse, at 149th Street, Mott Haven, the Bronx. Sponsored by Comité Noviembre, a nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of Puerto Rican culture, the event will also feature a display of books by Puerto Rican authors as well as entertainment and workshops for children. From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., (718) 518-4455, www.cuny.edu/culturearts; free.

Neal Boenzi Photography Retrospective (through Wednesday) More than 30 photographs capturing events big and small are included in this exhibition of works by Mr. Boenzi, a photographer for The New York Times for more than 40 years. Mr. Boenzi, who turns 88 this month, retired in 1991. The show includes portraits of Mayor Edward I. Koch, Frank Sinatra, President Harry S. Truman and Van Cliburn. Friday, Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m., Jadite Galleries, 413 West 50th Street, (212) 315-2740; free.

Goddard Riverside Community Center Book Fair (Saturday and Sunday) Best-selling books as well as CDs and DVDs are available at this annual fair — the 27th — at the Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Avenue, at 88th Street, Manhattan. A portion of the proceeds will go to the center. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., (212) 873-6600, Ext. 312, goddard.org; free.

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‘Here Lies Love’ Benefit Performance (Monday) A benefit performance of “Here Lies Love,” David Byrne’s immersive musical based on the lives of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos that was presented by the Public Theater in the spring, will feature the show’s original cast and Mr. Byrne. All proceeds from the performance will go toward relief efforts in the Philippines by Doctors Without Borders in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which struck on Nov. 8. At 7 p.m., Terminal 5, 610 West 56th Street, Clinton, (800) 745-3000, terminal5nyc.com; $58.80.

Holiday Markets (through Jan. 5) More than 150 vendors are selling their goods in Union Square Park, bordered by Park Avenue South, Broadway and 14th Streets, through Christmas Eve. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; urbanspacenyc.com. The Holiday Shops are just part of the seasonal events in Bryant Park, at Avenue of the Americas and 40th Street, through Jan. 5. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, the 14th annual Holiday Fair offers 76 stalls of goods through Christmas Eve. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. All but the Holiday Shops in Bryant Park are closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (through Feb. 23) The 12th annual Holiday Train Show, featuring a 34-foot-long Lionel model train layout, is on display at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store near the Station Master’s Office. It can be viewed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; closed on Thanksgiving Day; mta.info/mta/museum; free.

Iranian New Wave 1960s-1970s Film Series (Friday) A screening at 6:30 p.m. of “The Traveler,” a 1974 film by Abbas Kiarostami, will close this series. Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, at 70th Street, Manhattan, (212) 517-2742, asiasociety.org/iraniannewwave; $12, $10 for students and 65+, $8 for members.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thursday) This year’s procession of floats, marchers and balloons — the 87th — features some new balloon characters and repeat visitors. New to the event are the dragon Toothless, from the 2010 movie “How to Train Your Dragon” (also a Cartoon Network series, “DreamWorks Dragons”), and the characters Finn and Jake, from the animated series “Adventure Time,” also on Cartoon Network. New versions of Snoopy, Woodstock and SpongeBob SquarePants will also be making appearances. The parade begins at 9 a.m. at Central Park West and 77th Street and travels south to Columbus Circle, where it turns and heads east to Avenue of the Americas. From there the parade continues down the avenue to 34th Street, ending in front of Macy’s in Herald Square. As usual, the parade will be aired live on NBC with three personalities from the “Today” show as hosts — Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie. Spectators for the balloon inflation outside the American Museum of Natural History, which runs from 3 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, can enter at Columbus Avenue and 79th Street.

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: ‘The Line King’s Library’ (through Jan. 4) “The Line King’s Library,” a display of work by Al Hirschfeld, whose specialty was theatrical caricatures, features rare works as well as those familiar to theatergoers and readers of various publications, including The New York Times. The exhibition, running through Jan. 4, includes video interviews with Mr. Hirschfeld, who died in 2003 at 99, and works by some of his contemporaries. Viewing hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., until 8 on Mondays and Thursdays; closed on Thanksgiving Day. 111 Amsterdam Avenue, at 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (917) 275-6975, nypl.org.

Nitehawk Cinema Shorts Festival (Saturday and Sunday) Nitehawk Cinema is hosting its inaugural short-film festival, featuring selections from around the globe with running times under 20 minutes. “A Labrat Matinee XII: Visions Unveiled,” a special late-night screening on Saturday, will showcase music videos, comedy clips and animation for grown-ups. Saturday at 11:45 a.m. and midnight, Sunday at 11:45 a.m., 136 Metropolitan Avenue, near Berry Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 384-3980, nitehawkcinema.com; $11 to $12, $9 for children and 65+.

‘Write of Passage’ (Saturday) This is the last weekend to see this exhibition devoted to street art. Included is a full-size copy of a subway car, which was recently tagged by SEEN TC5, SKEME TMT and other graffiti artists who were active in the 1970s. From 1 to 5 p.m., Red Bull Studios New York, 218 West 18th Street, Chelsea, redbull.com\writeofpassage; free.

Spoken Word

Conversation with Robert Stone and Rachel Kushner (Tuesday) Two noted fiction writers — Robert Stone, a National Book Award winner for fiction in 1975 for “Dog Soldiers,” and Rachel Kushner, whose novel “Telex From Cuba” was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award, will talk about their latest works. Mr. Stone’s “Death of the Black-Haired Girl” was released this month, and Ms. Kushner’s “The Flamethrowers” was released in the spring. At 7 p.m., Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway, at 12th Street, (212) 473-1452, strandbooks.com; purchase of a book or a gift card of $15 required.

Norman Rockwell Talk (Monday) Deborah Solomon, author of the recently published “American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell,” will discuss the life and work of that American artist. The writer Jason Farago will also take part in the discussion. McNally Jackson, 52 Prince Street, between Lafayette and Mulberry Streets, SoHo, (212) 274-1160, mcnallyjackson.com; free.

Thalia Book Club: J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst (Saturday) The producer-director J.J. Abrams and the novelist Doug Dorst will discuss their interactive mystery novel, “S,” conceived by Mr. Abrams and written by Mr. Dorst, which was released last month. Also on hand: the writer and actress Lena Dunham, of the HBO series “Girls,” and Sarah Vowel, author of “Unfamiliar Fishes,” who will introduce the speakers. This Thalia Book Club event is also presented by 826NYC, a nonprofit advocating creative writing programs for young writers. At 6 p.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $25 (limited availability).

Fashion District Walking Tour (Sunday) Sponsored by the Garment Center Alliance — formerly the Fashion District Business Improvement District — this free tour, led by Michael Kaback of Mike’s NYC Tours, will cover the history of the garment center with perhaps a visit to a showroom. It meets at 2 p.m. on the northeast corner of 39th Street and Seventh Avenue; bit.ly/18aWVyz. Reservations can be made at mikesnyc@yahoo.com.

Flatiron District Walking Tour (Sundays) This free tour of the Flatiron district meets at 11 a.m. on the southwest corner of Madison Square Park, at 23rd Street and Broadway, in front of the William Seward statue. (Through Dec. 29.) Sponsored by the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership; flatironbid.org/tour.php.

Kennedys and Roosevelts Walking Tour (Saturday and Sunday) To commemorate anniversaries in the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy — the 80th anniversary of Roosevelt’s first inauguration, in March 1933, and the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Kennedy, on Nov. 22, 1963 — this walk at noon by NYC Discovery Tours will include sites on the Upper East Side associated with them. Reservations and meeting place: (212) 465-3331; $20.

Multiethnic Eating Tour (Friday and Sunday) These two tours, by Big Onion Walking Tours, combine noshing with sightseeing on the Lower East Side. The meeting place for both tours is on the southwest corner of Essex and Delancey Streets. Friday at 11 a.m., Sunday at 1 p.m., (888) 606-9255, bigonion.com; $25, $20 for 63+ and students.

‘Union Square: Crossroads of New York’ (Saturday) Sponsored by the Union Square Partnership, this free year-round tour focuses on the area’s political and social histories. This walk, led by guides from Big Onion Walking Tours, meets at 2 p.m. by the statue of Lincoln in Union Square Park, near the 16th Street transverse. (212) 517-1826, unionsquarenyc.org; free. ANNE MANCUSO

Information on events for possible inclusion in Spare Times should be sent to weekend@nytimes.com by Monday at 5 p.m. for publication that week. Longer versions of Around Town and For Children listings are in a searchable guide at nytimes.com/events.